London’s Horsey Pub Crawl: Celebrate Chinese New Year

The article details a unique “Year of the Horse Pub Crawl” through central London, designed to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse by visiting pubs named after horses. The route itself is strategically shaped like a horseshoe for good luck, offering a fun and structured way to explore London’s diverse pub scene. A key benefit is the opportunity to discover historic and characterful establishments, each with its own unique atmosphere, from Victorian elegance to mid-20th-century charm.

The recommended five-pub itinerary begins with The Flying Horse on Oxford Street, notable as the street’s sole remaining pub with a Grade II* listed Victorian interior. Next is Soho’s famous “Norman’s Coach and Horses” on Greek Street, known for its preserved mid-century feel and connection to Jeffrey Bernard. The crawl continues to The White Horse on Rupert Street, a charming Sam Smiths pub, followed by a different White Horse on Newburgh Street, distinguished by its art deco architecture and modern Pilsner Urquell tanks. The journey concludes at The Yorkshire Grey on Langham Street, a cosy, fire-lit pub popular with BBC employees, though it can get uncomfortably busy. Potential risks include confusing similarly named pubs, like the two Coach and Horses in Soho, and encountering crowded venues.

Beyond the main crawl, London boasts numerous other equine-themed pubs. Noteworthy mentions include the craft breweries of the Blackhorse Beer Mile, the revamped Dark Horse in Selhurst with its resident pub cat, and the eccentrically decorated Nags Head in Knightsbridge. Other examples range from the traditional Horseshoe Inn near London Bridge to the popular “Sloany Pony” White Horse in Parsons Green, highlighting the vast array of horse-inspired establishments available for further exploration.

(Source: https://londonist.com/london/pubs/the-year-of-the-horse-pub-crawl)